The general history of Spain from the first peopling of it by Tubal, till the death of King Ferdinand, who united the crowns of Castile and Aragon : with a continuation to the death of King Philip III / written in Spanish by the R.F.F. John de Mariana ; to which are added, two supplements, the first by F. Ferdinand Camargo y Salcedo, the other by F. Basil Varen de Soto, bringing it down to the present reign ; the whole translated from the Spanish by Capt. John Stevens.

CHAP. III. The Death of Duke Valentine, and Troubles in Navarre. The Treaty betwixt the Em∣peror and King Ferdinand. The Great Captain courted to Command the Venetian and Pope's Forces. King Ferdinand settles the Affairs of Naples, and departs from that City.

WHilst Castile was thus in confusion, new Troubles broke out in Navarre. King John taking the advantage of the Catholick King's absence, who always was a Check up∣on him, resolved to be revenged upon his Constable the Earl of Lerin, who had offered him many Affronts, and still been protected by Castile. As soon as Duke Valentine, the King's Brother-in-Law, came into Navarre, he made him his General, resolving to seize all the Earl of Lerin's Estate, as of an Enemy to the Crown. He gathered 200 Light-Horse, 150 Men at Arms, and about 500 Foot. With this Force he sate down before Viana on the 10th of March. In this Place was Luis de Biamonte the Constable's Son. The Night following being very stormy, the Constable with 200 Horse put Supplies into the Place, leaving 600 Foot without in ambush. Being discovered in his return, he was charged by Duke Valentine with about 70 Horse, the King coming after with the other Forces. The Duke having killed and taken 15 Men, pursued to the place where the Ambush lay; there he was wounded, and dismounted by a Horseman, and those that lay in ambush rushing out, killed and stripped him to his * 1.1 Shirt, without knowing who he was. He being slain, all the Forces returned to their Camp. The Constable went away to Lerin. Thus died he that had been the Firebrand of all Italy. It was observed he died in the Diocess of Pamplona, which was the First Bishoprick he had, and on the same Day he had first taken possession of it, He left only one Daughter in the keeping of her Unkle the King of Navarre, who pressed the Siege, being reinforced with some Troops from the Constable of Castile. The Duke of Najara and Archbishop of Zara∣goça prepared to relieve the Place; yet it was surrendered, and the King with 600 Horse and 8000 Foot laid siege to Raga. The Council of Castile sent to require the King of Navarre to forbear using Force for 3 Months. The King offered to condescend, if the Earl would come and beg his Pardon, deliver up the Town of Lerin, send his Sons to Court, and then * 1.2 himself depart the Kingdom. Still whilst they treated, the King went on, took Raga and all other Places from the Earl; only Lerin held out some time, but was at last forced to submit. Upon this the Earl went away to Castile, and thence to Aragon, having not a Foot of Land left him in Navarre, Now the Catholick King's Party, what with Promises, and what with present Gifts, was grown considerable. Many died of the Plague at Torquemada, the Infection spreading this Year through all Spain. The Queen went to Hornillos, a Village a League from that Town, resolving to expect the coming of her Father thereabouts. She had restored to the Council such as were of it in her Mother's time, and discharged the rest. It was endea∣voured to persuade her to recall that Order, but she could not be prevailed upon. At Segovia the Marquess of Moya continued the Siege of the Castle; and tho' well defended for 6 Months, it being undermined, the Besieged surrendered on the 15th of May.

The Emperor's Ambassadors at Naples pressed for an Interview betwixt their Master and King Ferdinand, and proposed Nice or Rome for the Places to meet at, saying, They could dispatch more Business in one Day being together, than in several Months at a distance. King Ferdinand gave many Excuses to avoid meeting; whereupon the Ambassadors required him not to return to Castile till all Differences were adjusted; for otherwise the Emperor would also be obliged to go thither, and then all the Mischiefs that should follow, must be imputed to him * 1.3 that was the Cause of them. This looked more like a Challenge, than an overture of accom∣modation. Yet the Ambassadours were appointed to treat with the great Captain, the Lord Chamberlain and Secretary. King Ferdinand pleaded that being the Queen's Father he had Right to be her Tutor, besides that it was her own desire, and he had been appointed by the Will of Queen Elizabeth. For the Emperor it was urged, that the Queen being non Compos, the Prince was to succeed, and then his Grandfather by the Fathers side ought to be Tutor, be∣sides that the Catholick King was married contrary to his Promise made to Queen Elizabeth, and that the Nobility were against him. As a medium between both it was proposed on the Emperors part that the Government should be committed to 24 Persons, 16 to be chosen by the Emperor and 8 by the Catholick King that of all Preferments the King should have the Gift of one 3d part, and the other two should be in the disposal of the Governours, that the Revenue should be divided into four parts, 3 for the Queen and the 4th for the King. That to secure Prince Charles in the Succession, all Places of Strength should be put into the Emperor's hands. That some Children of the Nobility should be sent to Flanders to he bred with Prince Charles, and Security given that none should suffer for having taken part with King Philip. That the Investiture of Naples should be obtained in such manner as might not be prejudicial to Prince Charles. The Catholick King not approving of these Conditions prepared to depart, notwith∣standing the Emperor required him not to stir till all differences were agreed. Nevertheless King Ferdinand being resolved to return to Spain, sent Bernard Dezpuch Master of Montesa, Antony Augustino, and Hierome Vic his Ambassadors to do Homage to the Pope, which was done on the 30th of April, and at the same time an offer made of all the King's Forces for the Ser∣vice of the Church. The Pope was well pleased; and in Token of his Affection sent the gol∣den Rose that is blessed on Christmas Night to the King. He also offered the Great Captain to make him General of the Forces of the Church, which Employment the Venetians also offe∣red him in their Service, but the King prevented him from accepting either by promising again to make him Master of the Order of Santiago. That it might not be thought an empty Pro∣mise, the King had given Orders to his Ambassador Antony Augustino to obtain leave of the Pope to resign that Dignity into the hands of the Archbishops of Toledo and Sevil and the Bi∣shop of Palencia, that with the Pope's Commission they might confer it upon the Great Captain. The Pope was willing the Great Captain should have that Dignity, but would not agree to the Commission as a lessening of his own Authority. Hereupon the business was delayed, which made it all to be looked upon as an Artifice of the King's to draw the great Captain out of Ita∣ly. He was then Duke of Sessa and Terranova and Constable of Naples. King Ferdinand being desirous to alter the late Capitulation with France touching the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Naples in case Queen Germana had no Issue, promised to assist the Cardinal d' Amboise towards obtaining the Papacy if he would prevail with the King of France to quit his pretensions to that Crown. It was indeed but reasonable since the King of France obstructed the Marriage of Prince Charles with his Daughter Claudia and thereby cut him off the Inheritance of Britany and Milan, that he should make him amends by quitting all Claim to Naples. The King of France would not hearken to this, being offended the Nobility at Naples had taken the Oath of Fi∣delity to Queen Joanna without making mention of Queen Germana, contrary to the express Articles sworn to by the Catholick King.

It was very requisite the Catholick King should hasten his Return to Spain, but the Af∣fairs of Naples detained him. He pressed the Pope to grant him the Investiture of Naples, * 1.4 which the Pope at last was willing to grant upon condition he would recover for him the Cities of Faença and Arimino taken by the Venetians. This being a thing could not be present∣ly done the King resolved to depart. To oblige the great Captain the more, he caused a publick Instrument to be made in vindication of his Loyalty, Copies whereof were sent to all Princes John de Lanuça, Viceroy of Sicily, was come to Naples, him he resolved to leave with the same character in that Kingdom. But both he and his Son dying before the King embarqued, he gave that Command to his Nephew D. John de Aragon Earl of Riba∣gorça, and sent D. Raymund de Cardona to Sicily with the Title of Lievtenant General. The Viceroy was commanded not to disoblige the Coloneses and Ursini, and Bartholomew de Albi∣ano, having submitted himself to the King, was restored to his Estate. Besides the ordina∣ry Forces, 200 Gentlemen were appointed to do Duty at Court, and 150 Duccats pay al∣lowed each of them. Philip Ferreras was sent Ambassadour to Venice to assure that State, which was jealous of the Kings designs. All things being thus ordered the King set fail on the 4th of June with 16 Galleys. Eight days before the Ships set out under the Command of the Earl Peter Navarro. At this time the Kingdom of Portugal was in a most flourish∣ing condition, and famous throughout the World, for the valour and prudence of its King. On the 5th of June the Queen was deliver'd at Lisbon of a Son called Ferdinand, who died in the flower of his Age. Some Noblemen of Castile and particularly the Marquess de

Villena would have committed the Government of Castile to the King of Portugal, to exclude King Ferdinand. He thought not good to hazard any thing upon the promises of so few, tho at the same time he was willing to have had a hand in the Government of Castile that he might marry his Children to those of Queen Joanna, and make use of the Forces of that Crown for advancing his Conquests in India and Africk, or at least have conveyed that Power to the Emperour. The King of Navarre also offered the Emperour passage through his King∣dom, being jealous if the Catholick King grew so powerful he would never desist till he had deprived him of his Crown. The Nobility of the Emperor's Faction pressed him to come over: and it is certain he had possitively resolved to take a journey into Spain.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Duke Va∣lentine slain.
• * 1.2

  K. John of Navarre subdues his Rebel∣lious Sub∣jects.
• * 1.3

  Treaty betwixt the Empe∣ror and King Fer∣dinand.
• * 1.4

  Affairs of Naples set∣led.